Willard NM 5-12-16

[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]Finally got to join Picophilic in his boat on Willard. Yeah, I know. A BOAT???? But his first shot at that pond and my presence was requested. How could I refuse?

We were launched by 7ish. Air temp mid 40s. Water temp at launch. Up to 63 by noon. Wow. Tomorrow should be gangbusters.

Took a while to get the first fish...a crappie. Took even longer to get the next few. Caught the solo wiper about 10ish. Only one or two more crappies after that.

Caught crappies on a mix of Gulp Minnows and marabou jigs. The solo wiper munched a white Gulp Minnow being fished for Crappies. No class.

Saw HighNDry and his wife...toonin' and tubin'. They both caught a few crappies out off Eagle Beach and then went inside the harbor...where they reported via radio that they found some more fish. They probably were able to limit out.

Some unspawned female crappies still out in deeper water, at mid depth. Some dark males in the shallows and on outside shallow humps. Should be some serious spawning in the next week or so.

Quite a few boats on the water today but all seemed to be moving around a lot. Bet it's gonna be a zoo tomorrow.

Thanks for the invite Jim. Fun trip, nice weather, no skiers and no skeeters. Not as many fish as we might have liked but hope you picked up a few useful tidbits about good old fickle Willard.
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[SkunkedAgain]

Hey Pat, nice report I hoped there would have been a little more catching going on. Guess you made it easier for me to chase catfish tomorrow instead of hitting the bay. If you have a slower day I can figure on a skunk so I'll save the gas and try to bump my score up a little. Thanks J
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[remo_5_0]

Thanks for the report Pat, be there in the morning.
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[dubob]

[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]O M G! Pat - in a boat. Whoda thunk it? [][/#800000][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]We launched at the NM about 9:30 and trolled over to Freeway Bay and then out to and around the island. Picked up 3 wipers on 3 different lures with the largest going 2.67 pounds. Released all.[/#800000][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]Then anchored on the island and tried mussels for 45 minutes with no takers. Then tried the southeast corner of Freeway Bay in 10 FOW for an hour and had one pick up but no hookup. Picked up at 2:30. [/#800000][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]It was a very good day to be out there with the weather/wind in the good to excellent category.[/#800000][/font]
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[Piscophilic]

Hey Pat,

Thanks for the introduction to Willard and some interesting fishing techniques. I also appreciate you putting up with the equipment handicaps in my little boat and me not keeping up my end of the catching.

I enjoyed the trip a lot more than I usually do when I only get one fish in the boat, must meant the learning and the company were great.

I also enjoy getting the see HighNDry and his wife in action and meeting JJannie, even if it wasn't one the water.

Good luck if you get out again this week.
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[TubeDude]

[quote dubob][font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]O M G! Pat - in a boat. Whoda thunk it? [/#800000][/font]
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[#0000FF]Gotta do it once or twice a year just to avoid being accused of being a boat bigot.

At least I didn't get left on the ramp. (snark)
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]Yes, Jim, it was an enjoyable day. Coulda been more productive but no skunks were taken home by either of us.

No problem with the "handicaps". I have mellowed a bit, and no longer whimper and whine all day when confined to a boat. Some of my boating friends wear noise suppression ear coverings to screen out the incessant and constant references to how much better I would be doing if in my tube.

I think we agreed that all fish caught were well earned...after the previous week of wild weather and dropping water temps. The fish were just starting to settle down again. I am sure that reports for today will be better...and Saturday if the wind does not blow the intrepids off the water.

Always cool to meet new BFTers. Willard is a good venue for that. But you only met 2/3 of jjannie. You met Jeff and Annie but missed Jil. Too bad. She is a sweetheart...and a pretty good anglerette too. I seem to recall that they planned a trip today so we can watch for their report. Hope they score some more nice walleyes like they did last week.
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[Kent]

[quote TubeDude][#0000ff]

No problem with the "handicaps". I have mellowed a bit, and no longer whimper and whine all day when confined to a boat.

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I'd have to see it to believe it.[] And, with my fishing schedule opening up a little more in a few short days, there is a good possibility I will be able to see for myself. Come to think of it, with as bad as my hearing has become, seeing it (instead of hearing it) may be my best option.[frown]
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]Hear, hear...here.
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[HD7000]

Pat, I'm sure you saw me, or atleast heard my loud duck boat driving all over looking for fish too! They sure weren't in the same spots as they were before the big wind storm a couple weeks ago... We ended up with a couple limits of Wipers out in the middle, one fat mama crappie (unspawned) and about 75lbs of carp taken with bows that we fed to the crawfish! Still not much love from the eye yet though...
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]Glad you got a few wipers...and a prespawn crappie mama. Some of the crappie I took home still had fairly tight egg skeins. I suspect the spawn will extend a couple of weeks...with the weird weather.

Can't say that I was listening for your boat. But did notice that most boats were moving around a lot. That usually indicates they are still looking rather than harvesting.

Thanks for doing your part to reduce the carp biomass. But be sure you perforate the air bladder on those golden uglies. Poor Pisco insisted on us motoring over to see what he thought was a huge dead wiper. I told him it was a carp but he had to see it for himself. It was one with a big hole in it. And I don't think the hole was from a cormorant. More likely a hat-crested bow-twanger. That is a carp killing species that migrates here about this time of year.

Crawfish? Numbers have been way down in the low water years. Maybe with the water getting back up into the rocks there will be more mini-lobsters for all those that like them.
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[HD7000]

Yeah, I know that there are very few crawfish left in the bay since the water level has been down for so long. That was just my expression for doing exactly what you said with the carp, popping their air bladder and sinking them. I hate pulling in a shallow area to find a dozen floating, rotting carp...the smell alone is enough to make you gag!
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[JTrowdybass]

A friend and and I waded the weeds around the NM two weekends ago after the golden tarpons and counted 35 smelly floaters. I knew I should worn waders... I think I can still smell them on me. Some guys just need a little more education before they go force feeding fish.
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]There are many lakes around the country that have a requirement that any fish killed by bow, spear or whatever be removed from the lake and properly disposed of elsewhere. In places where there is a lot of bowfishing the boaters often keep a large garbage receptacle on board in which to place the fish they shoot. And some lakes even have dumpster bins at the docks for fish-twangers to deposit their kills.

But Utah is not known for its leadership in many fields. So it is not likely we will see anything so common sensible on any of our waters. If it costs money it will be at the end of a long list of other improvements that also require funding.

Several years ago...when the carp seining thing was big news...I made suggestions to several entities that we have state sanctioned carp derbies...fishing, bow fishing or whatever. Put some prizes up for most poundage, largest fish, most fish, etc. And to also have designated drop off places for the carp thus harvested. Heard lots of reasons (excuses) why it could not be done. Nobody seemed very interested in combining an eradication program with something the public could participate in, have fun and maybe win a few bucks.

We are in Utah. Set your watch back 100 years.
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